Newark partners with home security company Ring for safer city

The Newark Police Department has partnered with home security company Ring in an effort to help make the city safer.

Newark police will give out 500 of Ring’s video doorbells to residents of the Weequahic and Forest Hill sections of the city. These are both neighborhoods with high rates of property crime.

Law enforcement officials say that the idea is to create a network of cameras that will create a digital neighborhood watch, to help make it earlier to arrest suspects who may have been caught on camera committing crimes.

Newark resident Anthony Honore says that he is interested in applying for the camera, because his neighbors have recently installed one.

“Seems like it’s a good idea,” he says.

But Honore says that he does want to learn more about how his privacy will be protected.

“The aspect of Ring where you can see it, might be good,” he says. “But on the other hand…as long as we can somehow keep it safe.”

Newark police say that users control what to share and how much to share on a secure system.

Police are holding a lottery for residents to apply for the Ring systems. But they are encouraging anyone who doesn’t receive a system to still download the free Ring app to send and received real-time crime alerts.

An informational session will be held Friday night in Forest Hill. The lottery for free doorbell cameras closes on Sunday night. CLICK HERE for more information.